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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rule — a law
  6. shower — to wash
  7. board — to get on
  8. season — of the year
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. root — of a word
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rule — government
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. season — in sport
  19. root — of a plant
  20. board — a committee
  21. fall — the season
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rule — to rule out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com